


PART 4 - Attack

by Syndcates



Series: Rough Seas - Mianite [4]
Category: Mianite - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Enemies to Friends, Eye Trauma, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Love Confessions, Love Letters, M/M, Mild Gore, Multi, No Smut, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Realm of Mianite, Slow Burn, Threesome - F/M/M, syndisparklez
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-06-25 07:44:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15636306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syndcates/pseuds/Syndcates
Summary: Now that Capsize knows where her brother is, it's time to prepare to lay siege to the city of Inertia, the Dianitee capital. Tom finds himself struggling between following his heart and his god, and Redbeard meets the man who killed his parents after twelve years.





	1. 29 - Dreams

It was dark. That was the first thing Katherine noticed when she opened her eyes. Not like in her room. At least there, moonlight came through the window to scare the shadows away, and Jordan was always present when she woke up from nightmares. Speaking of Jordan, she couldn’t feel his arms around her, or hear his slight snoring. Where was he? More importantly, where was she? This certainly wasn’t her bedroom. Sitting up, she could feel the atmosphere changing around her. Something, no someone, else was here with her. Deciding to be brave, she called out after a moments hesitancy.

“H-Hello?” She looked around, trying to see if anything as different, if anything had appeared while she spoke. There was nothing but the sound of her own voice, echoing through wherever she was. A few moment later, there was a deep chuckle, and Katherine felt shivers go up her spine, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Dianite.

“So, my dear Katherine. How are you fairing without your precious older brother?” She gritted her teeth, anger coursing through her. He had no right, appearing and talking bad about her and her brother. Ianite, if only she had her sword with her, then she could show this demon some of the pain she was feeling. “Oh, Katherine, don’t be so cruel.” Dianite voice was mocking, and Katherine’s hands formed fists. Bastard.

“Get out of my head, Dianite.” She said through gritted teeth. There was another chuckle, that only served to make her more cross.

“As you wish, dear.” Katherine felt herself sneering, and she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about ramming a sword into Dianite. “Let’s go to a more… Interesting location. I take it this one isn’t to your liking?” The ground dropped out from underneath her, and she let out a screech, before her surroundings molded and transformed into smooth, stone-bricked walls. Not too far away, she could hear someone begging, screaming out in pain. Katherine herself began moving towards the noise, and too her horror, she found that it was her brother who was screaming.

“Stop hurting him!” She cried out, struggling to move from her fixed position. Dianite scoffed.

“And what? Lose one of Furia’s favourite toys?” She could practically feel his smirk as she let out a shot, thrashing in the hold he had on her. “Now, now, Katherine,” He said, sounding like he was scolding a small child, “I though you wanted to see your brother after this long separation. I know Furia has.” Another chuckle rang out as Katherine practically snarled at him.

“You bastard!” She shouted out as she squirmed in his hold. “You let him go, you horned sack of shit!”

“Whomever are you talking about, my dear Captain?” The god spit out those words like they were poison, a sneer present in his voice. When Katherine opened her mouth to reply, he spoke again. “Your brother, or my delightful Champion? I’m aware that he has gotten fairly fond of you, though I can’t see why anyone has.”

“You leave them alone?” Katherine snarled. Dianite sighed, at her response, and she knew that if she could see him he would be shaking his head.

“Oh, Captain. It’s too much fun to hurt the one’s you love most.”

-

When Katherine awoke the next morning, she realized that her pillow was wet. Not only that, but her eyes were dry. So, she must have actually cried in real life. Oh, gods. Was what Dianite had shown her real? Did he actually know about what Tom felt? No, it had to be fake, it had to be. Tom would be in so much danger if Dianite actually knew that. She had to talk to Ianite. Now.

-

“Dianite was there?” Katherine though for a moment and then shook her head. She was sitting in Ianite’s office again, all of the furniture back in its proper place. Jordan was busy training, as was Martha. Katherine was mostly only here for her nightmare (or should she say nightmares?) with Dianite. She needed to know if there was a chance that that was real. If it was, she was terrified for Tom. If not, then she could rest easy, knowing that Tom’s secret wasn’t out.

“He wasn’t… physically there, if that’s what you mean. But his voice was, and he was able to prevent me from moving.” Katherine explained. Ianite frowned and nodded, a worried expression on her face. “Do… Do you think that there’s any chance that if was real? That Dianite was showing me the truth?” It went unsaid that she was also referencing Tom’s feelings for herself and Jordan. Ianite sighed and nodded, and Katherine’s heart dropped. Tom was going to get hurt. He was going to get hurt because of her. She should have never kissed him, should have never tried to go into a relationship that was anything more than friendly. Should have should have should have. She was regretting many of her choices when Ianite decided to speak.

“I will contact Dianite, to make sure that he knows that tampering with my followers is not something I take lightly.” Ianite watched Katherine nod, a slight weight being taken off of her shoulders. “Katherine, please try and get as much rest as you can.” Nodding, she stood, exiting the room without a word. Ianite straightened. It was time to get to work.


	2. 30 - Weak

“First my champion, next Rupert, and now this?” Ianite spat, gesturing wildly with her hands. The spirit form of Dianite merely smirked at her, arms crossed over his chest.

“What, sister? Mad that I’m ‘tampering with your followers’? Especially after how my poor boy Thomas has been treated?” Dianite raised an eye brow at her, smirk still on his face. “Really now, I thought you’d be better than that.” Ianite gritted her teeth, mouth pressed into a thin line. God was Dianite frustrating. First he had acted like he didn’t know what she was talking about, then he told her that Katherine had lied, and now he was just plain goading her. She was reaching the end of her temper. Dianite knew it too.

“I can assure you that nothing bad happened to him He said so himself, that his stay was pleasant.” Ianite said, rubbing her forehead. Dianite scoffed and mumbled something quietly. Narrowing her eyes, Ianite frowned at Dianite. What was that about? “I hope you understand that all I want from you is for you to stop toying with my followers.” Ianite squared her shoulders, putting up a brave face. “Is that truly so much to ask of you?”

“Psh.” Dianite huffed, glaring slightly at Ianite, who merely held his gaze. “I wouldn’t even be doing anything to your precious Captain if she hadn’t already done something to my Champion.” He sneered, his arms crossing over his chest. Ianite’s face morphed into one of confusion. What? Katherine wouldn’t… Couldn’t have done anything bad to Tom. The two of them had been on good terms (or, as good as they could be considering the consequences) when Tom had left. So why was this Dianite’s reasoning? Something must have happened, something that had Dianite deciding to terrorizing Katherine about.

“What happened.” Ianite asked, biting her lip slightly, out of nervousness. Of all the year’s she had known Katherine, she had never seen her hurt another without a reason. It was often that the missions she sent Katherine on involved fighting. If she had to do something, hurt someone, to benefit herself and the mission, Ianite was fine to let it slide, as long as she didn’t kill them. So, what had Dianite so mad? What exactly had Katherine done?  
  
“Well, for starters, she decided to get closer to my Champion, in a way that is strictly prohibited for my Champion.” Dianite flicked his wrist, and a folded sheet of paper appeared in his hand. “A letter. That he wrote to her.” Sneering, Dianite held it up for Ianite to read. Eyes quickly darting over the letter, she frowned slightly. Well, she hadn’t expected them to have gotten that close. She had realized that there was something between them, if the frequent visits (and when she had been waiting for Jordan to return from talking with Tom and had heard some… interesting sounds) were supposed to mean anything. But this? No, she wasn’t expecting this. Not that it was bad or anything, just very sudden.

“Your Champion and one of my Captains are romantically involved. What’s so wrong with that?” Ianite asked, cocking her head to one side. Why was Dianite so mad about this? Why was he being so… controlling over Thomas? Goodness, she had so many questions. Dianite let out a huff, clearly not getting the reaction he wanted from her.

“She’s turned him into some sappy weakling. Look at this!” He emphasized his point by smacking the paper with the back of his hand. “This is the kind of letter a schoolgirl writes to her crush. This is the kind of letter that is not meant for a man of his position. He is strictly prohibited from interacting with anyone in this way and your Captain- “Dianite snarled, jabbing a finger at Ianite, “has changed him!” Chest heaving slightly, Dianite stopped, staring at the paper, a sneer growing on his face. He crumpled the paper with his hands, crushing it until it was a small ball. Ianite looked at him in shock.

“Won’t he realize that it’s-“ Ianite was cut off sharply.

“Oh, he’ll notice.” Dianite seethed. If possible, flames would be coming out of the sides of his head. “He’ll wonder and hope that maybe he just lost it, or forgot it. He’ll think that I don’t know.” Dianite looked her straight in the eye. “I don’t like it when my followers don’t follow the rules, sister.” Sitting up straighter, Ianite breathed in sharply. She had heard rumors, about Dianite’s treatment of disobedient followers. They were horrific stories, and Ianite had held out hope that they had been false. However, that hope was slowly fading from her.

“What are you going to do with him?” Ianite demanded, clenching her fists tightly as to try and calm herself down. Dianite merely shrugged, anger still burning in his eyes.

“That’s none of your concern, sister dearest.” Dianite flashed her a smirk, before he continued. “Well, I guess I tell you a little of what’s in store for my love-struck Champion. He’ll get the appropriate punishment, and then some. I’ll even do it myself.” Dianite’s face was void of any joking or bragging. He was telling her the truth, for once. “It’ll be more effective that way. My Champion will never go near someone with this kind of intent every again.” Ianite felt her heart drop. Thomas was going to be hurt. Because of his feelings.

“Why?” She said, her voice near a whisper. Dianite frowned at her. Apparently, she was supposed to understand why her brother would torture one of his own followers, his Champion, for god’s sake, over a simple love letter.

“Why? I spell out everything for you and you ask why?” Letting out a small laugh, Dianite continued. “I know you, sister. You’re not stupid. But if I have to spell it out for you, I will. Thomas has violated one of my rules for him. Now he’ll be punished for his actions.” Raising an eyebrow at the sad expression of her face, Dianite shook his head. “You’re weak, sister. You would hesitate to put your followers in their place if they every disobeyed.” As his form started to shimmer slightly, starting from the bottom and moving upwards, Dianite said one last thing before he vanished. “He’ll get what he deserves, and soon.”


	3. 31 - Back to Inertia

Tom held his sister closely, his bags at his feet. She sniffled a little, and he only squeezed her tighter. He had gotten word from Dianite that he was to return to Inertia immediately. That was this morning. Now, bags all packed, he was saying goodbye to his sister. There were some days where he hated being Dianite’s champion. This was one of them. He had just gotten back after nearly a month of being away, and now he had to leave again? It hurt every time he had to leave, but this time… It was just making him feel terrible. Tom wasn’t surprised by the slight dampness growing on his shirt. Blinking back tears of his own, he rested his chin on top of his sister’s head.

“I’ll be fine, Alice. Really.” Tom said, watching as she pulled away slightly to rub at her eyes. Swallowing, he gave her a weak smile, one that she was easily able to read through. She was just as scared as he was, it seemed. Which was pretty darned scared, to tell the truth. Tom ha never been tis nervous about going to meet with Dianite. Ever. Maybe it had something to do with the letter that he had written being missing… Or maybe not. Maybe it was just nerves. Yeah, that’s right. Just nerves.

“I know you will.” Alice reached up to cup his cheek, giving his cheek a gentle pat. “Be safe, for me?” Tom’s smile was genuine this time, and he nodded slightly.

“I will, Alice.”

-

The trip had gone smoothly, besides Tom almost crying a few times. He had arrived just after dinner at the temple, and he had been able to put his bags into his room before he headed downstairs. Furia had already scared him, taunting him about the slight redness in his eyes. Tom couldn’t deny it; he really disliked Furia. Unfortunately, they had to work together. Dianite had Tom as his right-hand-an, but Furia was his left. Most of the time Tom just tried to stay out of Furia’s radar.

“A word, Thomas?” Glancing to his right, he spotted Dianite walking slowly towards him, his hand’s clasped behind his back. Without a word Tom followed him, a sinking feeling in his stomach. The two walked in silence, before they entered Dianite’s office. His was nothing like Ianite’s. A roaring fireplace (that was seemingly always lit) was behind Dianite’s desk, filling the room with even more heat than usual. Unlike Ianite’s office, Dianite’s had no windows, ensuring that no one could find it without already memorizing the location. Gesturing for him to sit down, Dianite stood behind his desk, facing the roaring fire. Tom took a seat, fidgeting nervously. Sudden meetings were never good. “I have two things that I need to speak with you about, my Champion. One, is that Ianite has declared war on us, and I will have to keep you here for some time.”  
  
“D-do you know how long, my lord?” Tom asked, his shoulders slumping slightly. Damnit. He had been hoping that this would be over quickly and he would get to go home soon. Stiff facing the fire, Dianite shook his head.

“It could be a few days, weeks, even months before it is alright for you to leave.” Turning to face Tom, Dianite frowned slightly. “But that’s not what is important here.” Dianite said, watching Tom’s face scrunch up in confusion. “You may recall,” He started, flicking a wrist slightly, a somewhat crumpled piece of paper appearing in one hand. “that it was I who woke you in Emall?” Tom nodded, his eyes transfixed on the piece of paper. His face had drained of all colour, and Dianite had to resist smirking at the mortal. “Ah, so you do know what this is?” He couldn’t stop the sneer from creeping into his voice, a strange mix of pride and disgust filling his chest when Tom looked down at his lap.

“I-I’m sorry my lord I’ll- “Tom was cut off by Dianite slamming a hand down on to the desk, jumping at the sound of the impact.

“You will look at me when you are blabbering like a moron. You will look at me when I talk to you. Do you understand?” Dianite snarled, watching Tom’s head shoot up, the mortal nodding quickly.

“Y-Yes Sir.” Tom replied, eyes wide as he stared up at the god. He could feel his hands shaking, and tried to hide them by gripping the chair as tightly as he could. Dianite’s eyes narrowed, and Tom felt himself shrinking away from Dianite, pressing into the chair as much as possible. Jerking his head to get Tom to come over to where he was, Dianite sneered slightly. Thomas stopped beside Dianite, who shoved the piece of paper into his hands. Swallowing sharply, Tom took it without saying a word.

“Pathetic.” Dianite said, watching as Tom flinched a little. He was so easy to control, so easy to shape. Like a piece of clay, Tom could be molded into any role that he wanted. Hell, if Dianite had wanted something romantic from him, he was sure that he could have gotten Tom to do it. To become whatever, whoever, he wanted Tom to be. “Rip it up.” At Tom’s surprised face, he huffed. “I said, rip it up.” Dianite said through gritted teeth.

“B-But Sir I- “Tom quickly closed his mouth as Dianite growled at him, quickly folding the paper. It took a few minutes, but soon, all of Tom’s hard work, his thoughts and feelings, were laying in a few pieces in his cupped hands.

“Into the fire.” Dianite said, jerking his head at the flames. Tom swallowed, stiffly moving to be in front of the fireplace, his eyes starting to sting. He let the paper flutter downwards as Dianite came up behind him, placing both of his hands on Tom’s shoulders. “Good boy.” Dianite said, ruffling Tom’s hair as they watched the paper burn. Tom watched as the pieces of paper caught on fire, quickly becoming mere ashes in the intense flames. He couldn’t help the few tears that trickled down his face, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. Dianite’s hands on his shoulders were like brands, white-hot against his skin. 


	4. 32 - Cells

Grimacing slightly, Tom rubbed at his shoulders. It had been two days since his meeting with Dianite, and his shoulders were still hurting. There were slight imprints of where Dianite’s hands had been, which made Tom somewhat concerned. What if Dianite had actually burned him? Would he even care? Tom didn’t like to admit it, but he looked up to Dianite. He was the most important figure in his life, and Tom always wanted to please him. Dianite was almost like a father-figure to Tom, and he didn’t want to mess that up.

Shaking his head, Tom got himself out of those thoughts. He was supposed to be visiting Rupert today, to see how he was doing. Hopefully fine. Entering the cells was easier than he thought. The guard waved him through, too busy with their card game to care. He approached Rupert’s cell with caution; he didn’t want to startle Rupert. Especially not once he’d learned that Furia had taken… a special interest in the red-haired man. Like hell if Tom was just going to sit by and let one of his kind-of friends get hurt. Not if he could do something about it. Hesitantly, Tom pushed the door open, wincing as the hinges squeaked slightly. He shut the door as quietly as he could, before turning to face to room.

“Rupert?” Tom asked, noticing that the man himself was lying on a cot. There was a chair that had definitely been recently put there. He sat in it, watching Rupert roll on to his other side to look at him.

“Oh. It’s you.” Rupert replied sleepily. He squinted slightly at Tom, seemingly looking him over. “It’s been a while.” Tom nodded, his head bowing. He fiddled with his fingers, a nervous feeling growing in his gut.

“I got sent back to my home but… Now I’m back.” Tom said curtly. He heard Rupert hum slightly, and the other man watched Tom lazily. He seemed awfully nervous about… something.

“Alright. Spill.” Rupert grumbled, giving the other man an exasperated look. Tom glanced up at him, an almost embarrassed expression on his face. When Tom didn’t respond immediately, his eyes darting around the cell to avoid Rupert, he continued. “What’s got your panties in a twist?” Tom flushed at that, a hand creeping up to rub at the back of his neck.

“I-It’s just…” Tom bit his lip, nervous. He would have to tell him. Better now than having him find out some other way. “Well… Furia’s got a… special interest in you. It’s…” Tom paused, sighing slightly. “It’s going to be bad, Rupert. I can’t promise much better.” Swallowing the building lump in his throat, Tom rubbed his hands on his thighs. Gods, he was still so nervous about talking to Rupert. The man himself nodded slowly, going over the information in his head.

“Alright.” Rupert said softly. He fiddled with his hands, and for a moment Tom wanted to go and hug the guy. But that would be too much. They had only just started liking each other, after all. Plus, he had just revealed that Rupert was likely going to be tortured at some point. That was a lot to process. He didn’t want Rupert t feel like he had when they had arrived in Ianarea though.

“Hey… I’m here for you.” Tom said softly, looking over to him with an honest look in his eyes. Rupert’s lips quirked up slightly, but that was the best he got. Frowning, Tom tried to think of something to distract Rupert. Tom did have to leave eventually, and hopefully Furia wouldn’t start doing anything for a couple of more days (or at least, he certainly hoped so.). That would give Rupert some time to process everything. Enough time to sort out his mental state. “You were… so relaxed about me, Kathy and Jordan? It’s… kind of weird.”

“Well… It’s not my say if my sister likes someone. Hell, if she wants to be with two people at once? None of my concern.” Rupert said, shrugging slightly. “The only thing I’m most worried about is communication. Relationships… well… They take work. It’s hard enough trying to communicate with just one other person.” Tom nodded. He was well aware of how… sour relationships could turn. His teenage sweet-heart, for example, who had practically used Tom. Even using both hands, Tom couldn’t count the number of times that he’d been cheated on, ditched, and treated very unfairly by his then-boyfriend. He was glad that it was over, though. Kyle had tried to pathetically get back with him after Tom had been selected to become Dianite’s champion. Justice was served quickly, that day.

“It’s good that Kathy has someone else she can get support from.” Tom said, a bashful look on his face. Rupert genuinely smiled, chuckling slightly. The two of them chatted about everyday life for a few more minutes, Tom bitching about training and Rupert talking about the terrible food that he was served. After a few more moments passed, Tom hit Rupert with a question that had plagued him ever since he had first realized that he liked Jordan and Katherine. “Do… Do you think Katherine and Jordan like… actually like me?” Tom bit his lip, trying to ignore the self-deprecating thoughts his mind was giving him. “Like, like like me? I just… don’t want to be screwed over.” Tom swallowed, fiddling with his hands nervously. Rupert hummed, thinking over the question.

“I think,” He started, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Tom waited for the bad news. That he disapproved. That he never wanted someone like him near his sister and friend. “That they’d be dumb not to, Y’know? You’re a nice guy, Tom. It’s easy to see why they’d like you.” Rupert said, shifting again. Tom perked up at that, straightening in his chair.

“Y-You really think so?” Tom asked, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. Rupert just chuckled and nodded, watching a cute grin slowly spread across Tom’s face. All of the nervousness had fully left his system. If Rupert thought that they did, there was a good chance that it was true.

“Yes, I do.”


	5. 33 - The Esacpees

Katherine rolled her shoulder as she prepared to carry out another bunch of jabs at the lifeless dummy before her. She wasn't terrible with a sword, but she had to get better if she wanted her brother back. It didn't matter that she was aching in multiple areas, bruises from sparing with other soldiers slowly fading, now. Stab. Stab. Slash. Falling into the movements was almost like a second nature, now. Herself and other recruits had been training for at least two weeks now, and many were starting to show improvement. Stab. Stab. Slash. Most of the recruits had been simple farmers and villagers, but after the attack on the temple, waves of people had come flooding in to offer their services. Slowly, an army was assembling. Stab. Stab. Slash. Seeing them get better had only made her more determined to get better. She was an example. If she trained rigorously, day after day, other recruits would follow in her footsteps. Stab. Stab. Slash. Deep breaths, Katherine. You can do this.

"Katherine!" Looking up from her training dummy, Katherine watched as Jordan jogged up to her. Sheathing her sword, she wiped her forehead, grimacing slightly as her arm ached at the movement. "Hey." He said, giving her a small smile. Smiling back at him, Katherine let herself relax for a moment.

"What's happened?" Katherine asked, tilting her head, eyes darting up and down Jordan. On the outside, he seemed calm, but she could almost feel the tension radiating off of him. Letting out a quiet laugh, one of Jordan's hands came up to rub at the back of his neck while he gave her an almost embarrassed look.

"I didn't think I seemed that worried." Muttering, Jordan shook his head. "We need you in Ianite's office." Nodding, Katherine unclipped the sheathed sword from her belt, tossing it beside the training dummy. The two of them briskly walked down the hallways, most people taking one look at the two of them and darting out of the way as quickly as possible. Jordan didn't even knock on the doors, instead pushing them open, allowing Katherine to slip inside before he did. There was a mess of papers on Ianite's desk, ranging from small scribbles to large stacks of paper. Another large desk had been brought in, and it was currently pushed up against Ianite's desk, displaying a map.

"My Lady." Katherine said, briefly bowing her head at the goddess, who merely gave her a tired smile in return. She gave a small wave to Martha, who gave her a much more cheerful smile, giving her a jaunty wave back.

"Katherine," She replied, one hand rubbing her forehead. "I am sure that you are aware of Dianite's army, yes?" Nodding slightly, Katherine bit her lip, a slight frown on her face. What did Ianite need? "Good. Now, I know that this might be somewhat troubling to you, so please, feel free to leave any time you feel it necessary."

"What's this all about, my lady?" Katherine asked, just wanting whatever it was to be over as soon as possible.

"This... man? Is Dianite's top general." Ianite waved her hand, an image appearing beside her, life size. Katherine's hands balled into fists as soon as the image appeared. She knew who this was. The bastard who had hurt her and her brother, the asshole who could be currently hurting her brother even more than the first time. The man made of flames and ash. "He will be one of our main foes in this war, and we need to know everything we can about him. Since you do have... previous experiences," Katherine winced slightly, "I thought that maybe you may know somethings about..."

"Furia." Katherine said through gritted teeth. Jordan placed a hand on her shoulder, not to pull her away, but merely as an anchor to the real world. To keep her from drifting into her thoughts too much. Breathing in, Katherine let out a shaky breath. It was alright. She could do this. "He's the man who killed my parents."

-

Tom swallowed as he walked slowly beside Furia, eyes scanning over the hundreds of soldiers, all training with both swords and shields. They were watching over the soldiers training. Well, Furia was. Tom was supposed to be there to make these soldiers take the matter seriously. He was even wearing the full Champion armour, the helmet resting under his arm so he could actually breath. They were technically in war with Ianite, now. Biting his lip, Tom watched helplessly as Furia shouted at the troops, mostly mocking the troops' poor swordsmanship.

"Do you have to do that?" Tom asked, hoping that this wouldn't upset the fiery being. He hated watching the soldiers train. It reminded him too much of his own training. Lus, these soldiers were mostly just kids, slightly younger than he was. They shouldn't be training. They should be living their lives as average citizens. Furia scoffed, a sneer forming on his face. At this point, he was sneering so much Tom was sure that the look would be permanently stuck on his face.

"Psh. Of course I have to. They need to man up and take it." Furia let out a huff of laughter, looking over to Tom. "You really need to learn about being more like Dianite's champion, lover boy." Tom tensed, both at the remark and at the nickname. Where had he gotten that one from?  
  
"W-What do you mean?" Tom asked, his gut turning cold. His hands started to shake slightly. No. Furia couldn't know about that. How could he have even known about that? Furia let out a chuckle at Tom's obvious distress.

"Oh, what? You thought I wouldn't know about your precious Ianitee girlfriend?" Furia asked mockingly, the fire between the ashes that made him glowing brighter with each passing second. Tom had known Furia long enough to know that this was a sign of joy, of pure glee, taken from Tom's terror. "You're lucky I can't go find her. Now that I have her brother, I've realized that I want the full set." Tom's mouth went dry, and eh realized that his fear was actually showing on his face. Trying to compose himself, he replied.

"Please. She's done nothing to you." He whispered, trying to not catch the attention of any soldiers. They didn't need to know this sort of thing. Furia just laughed and shook his head, continuing to walk, gazing back over the soldiers. Tom meekly followed Furia along his route, not saying anymore.


	6. 34 - Helping Rupert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (just for clarification, the first part happens 2 weeks after Tom arrives in Inertia, the second 3 weeks, and the last 5 weeks after his arrival)
> 
> Light Gore in the third section

Tom tapped on the wooden door, cautiously glancing around the dingy corridor. When he saw no one, Tom slipped into the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. The chair that he had left in Rupert’s cell was still here, sitting in the exact same spot that he had left it. Rupert himself was asleep, laying on his back, an arm thrown across his stomach. He looked peaceful. Smiling slightly, Tom sits down, watching the other man’s chest rise and fall.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you earlier.” Tom’s voice is barely above a whisper, swallowing before he continues. “Dianite… He wants me to do bad things and I…” Hanging his head, Tom feels a couple of tears starting to sting at his eyes. He blinks them away quickly, taking in a couple of calming deep breaths. He can’t cry, not now. He’ll be fine. He must be. “I don’t want to be Dianite’s champion anymore.” Tom whimpers, arms curling around his middle, breath starting to hitch with sobs. Shit. This was not what he came down here to do, damn it.

Tom let a few hot tears stream down his cheeks, before wiping them away with the back of his hand.  _Get a hold of yourself._  Dianite’s voice rang around in his head, taunting him, making him face the truth that he could never be what Dianite wanted, that he could never be what anyone wanted that he –

“Tom?” Rupert asked, raising himself so that he was sitting up straight. Tom felt himself snap back into reality, breathing slowing. Huh. He hadn’t even realized that he’d been hyperventilating. Gods, he must have woken Rupert up.

“I’m sorry for waking you.” Tom replied, his voice hoarse. Rupert only seemed to get more concerned from there, brow furrowing. His mouth made a funny little frown that Tom would have found cute if he wasn’t so damned taken with Jordan and Katherine.

“Are you alright?” Rupert’s voce was much softer this time, his eyes reflecting his worry for Tom. Tom himself merely straightened in his chair, giving Rupert the most charming smile he could muster.

“Of course.” Tom said, lying through his teeth. Rupert had his own worries; it would only make those worries worse for Rupert if Tom told him what was wrong. So, Tom stayed silent.

-

“- And so he and Davey – Who was piss drunk by that point – Scampered off into the woods, bare as the day they were born.” Rupert chuckled, his hands gesturing about as he spoke. Tom listened with an enraptured smile, watching Rupert tell him another tale about his adventures as a pirate. He had come back to Rupert’s cell the day after his… Erratic behavior, expecting to find a furious Rupert. Instead, he was welcomed back in with open arms, and now he visited as often as he could. Rupert had seemed happy at his return, though Tom still couldn’t wrap his mind around why. Titling his head to the side, Tom eyed Rupert, his eyes shining in excitement.

“You’ve got great stories.” He said, a wide grin on his face. Rupert snorted, a lopsided smile showing on his face. He had never had too many close friends – especially after he had to support himself and his sister. Working that much left very little time for socializing. Though he was somewhat close to a few members of the crew, that was it. Maybe he could find a new friend in Tom.

“Probably not as good as some of the ones you must have, especially during your time as a champion.” Rupert replied, his grin fading a little when he saw Tom’s nose wrinkle, a foul look appearing on his face.

“Not really.” Tom rubbed his arm, feeling almost embarrassed to be talking He wanted to be friends with Rupert so badly. The red-head was funny, charming, smart, basically everything Tom wasn’t (and easy on the eyes if Tom was being honest). Not being able to tell Rupert with interesting stories was damaging that friendship. “Being Dianite’s Champion is different than being another god’s champion. It’s a lot of paperwork and meetings and training. Getting to go on a boat to a meeting was a luxury.” Tom shrugged slightly, his face starting to get flushed. “I’m sorry.” He added quietly, not meeting Rupert’s eyes.

“It’s fine, Tom.” Rupert replied softly. He had been trying to get Tom to open up to him more after he had woken up to Tom basically having a panic attack. It worried Rupert, if he was being honest. He only got more worried after Tom hadn’t spoken about the incident. After a couple of days, Rupert had figured that it would be better to just let Tom get more comfortable with him. Maybe then he would open up more. “What about when you’re not Dianite’s champion. Anything interesting there?” At that, Tom perked up.

“Yes, actually. I’ve got an older sister. Alice.” Tom replied, not realizing the loopy smile spreading across his face as he rambled on about his sister. Rupert’s smile returned as Tom talked, fondly watching the younger man as he enthusiastically described one summer day where he and his sister had stolen an entire heard of sheep.

-

Tom was out of breath by the time he reached Rupert’s door. Without knocking, he rushed in, horrified, but not surprised at what he found inside. Furia had gloated throughout the afternoon of what he had done, and Tom had just now been able to slip away with some meager medical supplies. He had felt sick as he raced down the hallways leading to the cells. Over the last few weeks, he had grown close to Rupert. They were friends now, or at least, that’s what Rupert had called the, Right, Rupert. Rupert needed his help. The redhead was on the floor, curled into a ball on his side. Tom fell to his knees beside him, carefully turning Rupert over onto his back, and wincing slightly as he saw the damage that Furia had caused.

Where Rupert’s right eyes used to be, there was now a gaping hole, blood covering most of Rupert’s face. Other, less severe injuries littered his unconscious body, but Tom quickly got to work on the worst area. He had never been more thankful for the field medicine training he had gone through, as he was quickly able to clean and cover the wound. Huh. One thing that Dianite did to be thankful for. Using a wad of bandages, Tom covered up the hole, wrapping a gauze-like material around Rupert’s head to hold it in place. While Tom was considering waking him up, Rupert let out a groan, his head rocking from side to side.

“No…. please…. Stop….” He moaned out, breathing speeding up. Rupert let out a sob, his one remaining eyes opening, a few tears trickling down his face. He was shaking, Tom realized. "Please.... Stop." Rupert was begging, now. Tom blinked back his own tears, instead focusing on Rupert. He was the one in pain. He was the one who was scared.

"Rupert. It's me." Tom replied, carding a hand through Rupert's hair. It succeeded in calming Rupert down and after a few minutes, Tom pulled him into a hug, letting the pirate sob into his shoulder. 

“It hurts…. Please make it stop…” Rupert sobbed out. Tom only held him tighter. He was going to get justice for this. Rupert was his friend. Anyone that hurt his friends would get what they deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. Sorry that this chapter took so long ;-; I'm starting school (ugh) in a few days so updates will probably slow down (though I'm going to try and write as many as possible between now and then and post them through September). Thanks so much for being patient with me :)


	7. 35 - Nerves

Katherine's feet ached. They had been walking for days, no, weeks, now, and she could see the Dianitee capital from here. Inertia. Tomorrow, they would be launching an attack on the damned place. Mostly to send a message to Dianite, but also to find her brother. He was a high ranking person, basically being her second in command, which meant that he did actually have information that Dianite could use. Her hands clenched. She knew that Rupert wouldn’t ever give up information about anything serious, but… It had been a few months since her brother had been taken captive. Who knew what kind of hell Furia and Dianite were putting him through? The thought of her brother, trapped alone and hurting, made her heart hurt. Gritting her teeth, she tried to rid herself of those thoughts. It wouldn’t do her or anyone else any good if she was distracted when they got to fighting. As much as she hated to say it, Katherine couldn’t focus on Rupert, not now.

A hand wrapped around her waist and she jumped, tensing as she whirled around, ready to attack her assailant. Jordan, her would-be attacker, merely blinked at her, a small, but sheepish, smile growing on his face.

“Sorry Kathy.” He murmured, trying not to draw more attention to the two of them than he already had. “Just wanted to see how you were doin’.” Casually, so not to alarm anyone else, his arm dropped from her waist so that their hands brushed against each other. Taking the bait, Katherine interlocked their fingers, chewing worridley on her lip. How was she doing? That really was a hard question to answer, especially at this moment.

“I’m….” Fine, she wanted to say. But something in the back of her mind told her to tell Jordan the truth. To tell him exactly how sick to her stomach this whole thing made her. “ I’m worried. About a lot of things.” Rupert being hurt, Tom, Jordan getting hurt or worse, Ianite being attacked. All of those thoughts made her close her eyes and breathe deeply out her mouth. She was alright. Jordan and Tom and Ianite were alright. Everything was fine. They were fine. Good, even.

“Like what?” He asked, a casual tone in his voice. She swallowed, eyes darting around. Ianite’s army surrounded them. Well, she guessed that she technically was apart of the army, but still. These men and women had fought and died together, and now they were going to do the same. Against a god. Bleh. She felt more sick than before. Gods, why was it now that she suddenly got so scared? Why couldn’t it have been weeks ago? If it had been long ago, she could have dealt with it better, been able to talk to Ianite, and Martha. As pleasant as Jordan was (and really, he was extremely pleasant to be around), he didn’t exactly radiate the calm aura that Ianite did, or the confident one that Martha did. Shaking her head slightly, she tried to focus on the moment. She was drifting too deep into her thoughts again. Katherine sighed. Jordan had definitely noticed, and was staring at her with that sad, kicked-puppy look on his face. It made her heart ache, and she felt bad that it was her who had caused Jordan this worry. He should be focusing on other things, like the actual war that they are involved in.

“You’re making that face again.” Katherine murmured, relaxing slightly when Jordan’s face became more passive. It wasn’t exactly unknown that the two of them were together. They did make it quite obvious, neither party not trying to hide their affections for each other. Unfortunately, their openness had sent some rumors through the soldiers, mostly revolving around Katherine's reasonings for the relationship. (People could really be nasty, especially when they talked about something none of them knew about.) “It’s just…. Rupert’s going to be hurt when we get to him.” Jordan sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“Yeah. It’s been bugging me for weeks now. His condition, I mean.” Katherine bit her lip as Jordan spoke, remembering the promise she had forced upon Tom when he had left. Gods, she hoped that he wasn’t blaming himself for whatever was happening to Rupert. He wouldn’t’ve been able to control the situation in any way, and Katherine hoped that Tom could see that. She missed him. Maybe they would meet… But hopefully not. That would likely not end well. “The fact is, he’s gonna be hurt when we get to him, Kathy. We’ve gotta give him time, and let him come to us. We’ve gotta help him heal.” Jordan’s voice was steady, the words he spoke filling Katherine with a sense of peace. He sounded so sure of himself. Katherine hoped that what he was speaking of could be true. That she hadn’t lost a few friends, a potential lover, and her brother, all in one fell swoop. It seemed unlikely that Rupert would get back to normal. But she hoped.

-

Katherine laid in her cot, listening to the sounds of the soldiers chattering as they set up their own tents. Jordan was outside of their, likely speaking with Ianite and Martha about something important. And here she was, mentally preparing herself for tomorrow. If she wasn’t in a good state of mind, than the chance that her brother would be alright were slim. She had to be alright, if only for a couple of hours. For Rupert. The flaps to their tent opened, and Jordan’s head poked inside, glancing around quickly before focusing on her.

“Kathy. Come on out. Ianite’s saying important stuff.” His head disappeared after that, and Katherine quickly rose, making her way out of their tent and into the centre of their camp. Most of the soldiers were already in their armour, clearly expecting a fight. But Katherine knew that Ianite was planning otherwise.

“-but we will not be attacking now.” Katherine was just able to catch the last part of Ianite’s sentence, watching as a couple of younger, newer soldiers, groaned and began taking off their armour. ”We attack at dawn.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	8. 36 - The Bells

Tom opened his eyes, not quite sure as to why he was awake. It was dark in his room, the sun having just barely crept over the horizon. And yet he was awake. Frowning, Tom turned over, shutting his eyes and trying to go back to sleep. If he was asleep, he didn’t have to deal with Dianite, or Furia, or Rupert injury. He could just hide away and pretend like everything was fine. But he couldn't fall back asleep. Groaning, Tom opened his eyes, squinting slightly out of the window that overlooked the city. A soft breeze brushed over him, and Tom was even more tempted to just turn over and let himself rest. Gods did he need it. The buildings were bathed in a soft light, mist from last night still curling through the streets. But that wasn't the thing that startled him. Weaving through the city, just as the mist did, soldiers with banners of gold and purple marched through the streets, heads held high. Watching them slowly advance forwards, Tom realized almost immediately what had caused his rude awakening. The bells. Dianite’s temple had bells, along with many of the guard towers near the border of the city. If the bells were ringing than… Shit.

Tom ripped the covers off of his bed, quickly changing out of his nightshirt and into proper armour. He stumbled, trying to get his boots on, hopping on one foot while he tugged at the laces. Scrambling for his sword, Tom practically burst out of his room, rushing past soldiers and upset civilians alike. Tom was on a mission. He had to go get Rupert. Rupert, who had suffered more than Tom could comprehend, Rupert, who was quite possibly the bravest man Tom knew. Rupert, who would be reunited with his fellow Ianitee followers in a few short hours if Tom was able to get to his cell on time. He prayed he could make it. He would have to. For Rupert’s sake.

-

Everything was numb. Well, maybe that was better than the opposite. He had just spent so much time in pain and afraid that it was a blessing that he felt nothing. Rupert shifted slightly, trying not to move his head too much. It had been about a week since…. Since…. Since Furia had… Rupert realized that he was shaking again, and tried to clear his mind of what had happened. Tom had patched him up. He was as good as new. He would be fine.

Mouth curling into a frown, Rupert tried to ignore the hurried footsteps racing past his cell door. If he could go back to sleep, maybe Furia would leave him alone for longer. He could be safe when he slept. Ignoring the furious whispers (which was really just the guards talking normally. Seriously, how much were these people trained?) Rupert tried to relax. He allowed his mind to drift, thinking back to the last couple of days. Tom hadn’t visited him often, but Rupter wasn’t that surprised. Before the… incident, Tom had been telling him about how the Ianitee's were being hostile, which meant that he had to have more meetings with Dianite and Furia. Although he felt bad for Tom, Rupert wouldn’t have wanted to be in his place. Dianite was… off-putting, to say the least. Fuira was just plain scary. He didn’t know how Tom could stand being around either of them on a daily basis. Shivering, Rupert pushed those thoughts out of his mind. If he could sleep now, he could wake up later in the day. That meant that Furia was less likely to pay him a visit. Sleep. He could do that.

He was just drifting off when the door to his cell practically slammed open, hurried footsteps making their way towards him. Rupert cringed when a hand shook at his shoulder, groaning at the rough treatment. Oh well. It seemed like he wouldn’t be going back to sleep after all.

“Rupert, wake up!” A familiar voice hissed at him. Rupert opened his eyes, (well, just the one, now) seeing Tom’s worried face standing over him. Tom looked terrified, which only made Rupert start to feel on edge. Something was wrong. The younger man sat on the edge of his cot, hand still resting on his shoulder.

“Wha’s happening?” He mumbled, sitting up with a slight wince.om glanced behind himself, as if someone was listening in in their conversation and boy, was that creeping him out.

“The Iani- Your people,” Tom corrected himself, “are marching in as we speak.” Rupert froze, instinctively tensing up. “C’mon Rupert, we’ve got to-” Tom was cut off by a distant explosion. He swore under his breath, before standing, tugging at Rupert’s arm. When Rupert didn’t immediately start moving Tom let out an almost desperate sound. “Rupert, please.” Tom said, voice cracking a little in the middle of his sentence. For the first time since he had woken up, Rupert took a look at Tom. A real look. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was flattened and messy. Desperation mixed with worry showed in his eyes. His armour was put on messily, too tight and too loose in all of the wrong spots. He looked like he was a recruit, a newbie, not Dianite’s champion. Even his sword wasn’t buckled in properly. Tom looked like shit. “Please.” Tom begged, his voice almost a whisper. “Please, I need you to be safe.” Rupert felt his heart ache at the sight of Tom, practically begging him to get up, to go with him to wherever the Dianitee was planning on taking him.

“Alright.” Rupert said, grimacing as he stood from the cot, not missing the way Tom’s shoulders dropped, a relieved expression on his face. “Lead the way.”


	9. 37 - Ashes

Katherine’s knuckles were white as she gripped the hilt of her sword. She followed behind Jordan as the two of them crept towards the temple. The smell of smoke and sweat clung to her leather armour, and a thin coating of ash coated her leather boots. Crackling fires were spreading throughout the city, most started by the civilians themselves. Dark plumes of smoke drifted into the sky, casting dark clouds through the sky. Katherine could only imagine what the surrounding towns must be thinking. It was possible that Tom could see the smoke from his home. She hoped he was safe.

Katherine and Jordan entered a courtyard next to the main hall, stepping over some rubble. It was empty, as she had suspected it would be. A smaller, boxed off area was to the left of them, and the ground underneath was hard. Training grounds. Katherine had a creeping suspicion that something was wrong. Jordan, still ahead of her, was staring up at the temple in almost awe. She could understand that. It was an imposing building, or, set of buildings. They were all the same. Red-stained glass windows and dark stone. Katherine grimaced at the sight. She could understand why someone would hate it here. As if sensing the danger coming, the airs on the back of her neck stood up.

“Well, well well. Look what the cat dragged in.” A familiar voice purred from behind them. Katherine tensed up, watching as Jordan spun around, face going from shock to anger in seconds. But Katherine didn’t have to turn around to know who was behind her. She would recognize that voice anywhere. Furia. Gritting her teeth, she turned around, seeing Furia leaning up against a wall of the boxed-off area. He smirked at her, arms crossed over his chest. When he got no answer from her, his smirk faded into a scowl, and he straightened. “What, are you scared little girl?” He sneered. Katherine squared her shoulders, not letting Furia have what he wanted.

“You’re going to tell me where my brother is. Now.” Katherine watched as Furia almost laughed at her. She heard Jordan walking to stand beside her, sword drawn and ready.

“Oh, that’s so cute! You think that your brother will be all fine and dandy when you get him back.” Furia’s smirk had returned, and he took two steps towards the two of them. Katherine’s grip on her sword somehow tightened. Her jaw clenched as she tried not to beat Furia into a pulp right then and there. He would deserved it, at least. “And you think that you’re going to beat  me . Only you and your… and your….” Furia trailed off as he actually saw Jordan. His eyes widened in recognition, and Katherine knew that now was the time to strike. 

Rushing forwards, she sliced downwards with her sword, a blow that Furia missed. Jordan was one step behind her, already darting to Furia’s left side while she took the right. Furia snarled when the tip of Jordan’s sword glanced off of his side, turning to him with literal fire in his eyes. As Furia had done before, Jordan scampered out of the way of a fireball. Furia sent another ball of flames towards Katherine. She darted out of the way, moving closer to Furia to slash at him. This time, the blade connected. She couldn’t lie that hearing Furia hiss in pain was pleasing to her. This man, this thing, had tortured her, her brother, and her parents. Now, justice was being served.

They traded blows, and both Ianitee's had come close to meeting a firey end. Several minutes later, Katherine found herself panting as she stood across from Furia. The fire being himself seemed somewhat injured, but Katherine wasn’t an expert in that sort of thing. Jordan was panting like her, and was favouring his left side. Furia’s glow seemed dimmer, and it was as though even he seemed exhausted. But, Furia did something strange. Almost taunting her, Furia pointed towards the closed off area that she had noticed.

“You know,” Furia started, spitting out what she could only imagine was his own blood. It sizzled when it touched the ground, leaving a black mark. “Your pretty little  boyfriend found himself getting into a lot of trouble. It’s a shame that Dianite had to hurt him like he did.” Furia sneered. Katherine saw red. First her parents, next her brother, and now Tom? She was going to kill this bastard. Glaring at him, she charged forwards again, her heart pounding in her ears. She fought harder, better, more vicious than she ever had before.

Several more minutes passed, and soon Katherine got the lucky blow. A sword straight through the upper part of his chest. She didn’t know if he had a heart, but the way he sputtered and collapsed made her almost hopeful that he did. Furia clawed  desperately at the sword still sticking out of him. He was almost gagging as Katherine ripped it out.

“This is for my family.” Was all she said before driving the blade downwards. Furia let out a pathetic cry as the blade came towards him, but he fell silent soon after. Panting, Katherine yanked her sword out of the now dead Furia. She threw the sword to the side, and buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Jordan’s arms wrapped around her, and she allowed herself to collapse into him. Kissing her forehead and murmuring into her hair, Jordan held onto her  tightly . The two stayed like that for a while, before Katherine pulled away, wiping at her face. She picked up her sword, making sure it was clean before re-sheathing it. All she needed to do was make eye-contact with Jordan, and they both knew what to do. They were going to find Rupert, and Tom, and get them out of this hell hole. Jordan smiled at her  softly , inclining his head towards the temple.

“ Shall we?”

“Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhhh
> 
> i'm really sorry that this chapter took a while :( but s c h o o l ugh  
> Hopefully i'll be able to get next chapter out by sometime next week so that it'll make up a bit for the lack of posting :))


	10. 38 - God Against God

It was horrid, the way the battle was going. Far too many young Dianitee soldiers had fallen to her own, only because they thought that it was their duty. Her soldiers had been forced to retaliate, and for that, she was somber. Ianite sighed, watching as a group of her soldiers escorted a family to safety. At least some good would come of this battle. She remained in the shadows, hoping not to draw Dianite’s attention to her location. If she were to reveal herself, none of her soldiers would survive the fury that was Dianite. She wanted all of those people to be safe. Even if they weren’t her own followers. Ianite couldn’t stand to think about more innocent lives passing because her and her brother were having a spat.

Making her way out of the shadows, Ianite silently traveled the deserted cobblestone roads, hiding in the alleyways when soldiers rushed past her. More fighting and ruin greeted her as she traversed the city, the rubble from houses and shops littering the streets. The smell of smoke and death hung low like fog, sticking to one’s self and clothing like a viscous glue. It was eerily quiet. Ianite guessed that most of the citizens of Inertia were hiding in their cellars or in more secure locations, like banks, or even the city guards barracks. At least they were safe.

The city square still remained empty, most of the fighting taking place in the streets and small courtyards. Ianite walked further into the square, moving towards the large stone fountain in the middle of the square. She could hear the fighting distantly, almost becoming background noise to her. Letting her cloaking spell drop, she watched as yet another dark plume of smoke drifted into the sky. It would be over soon. Any yet, she was still feeling like something was amiss. Taking a second to focus, she honed in on the feeling. Something definitely wasn’t right here. Ianite could feel something approaching her. Without turning around, she could tell who it was. Only two people would have come directly towards her like the man behind her did. And the other was halfway across the world.

“Sister.” Dianite’s voice rang through the empty square, almost reverberating off of the buildings. Ianite turned to face him, her face hiding her feelings towards her brother. “You decided to bring your army along with you to visit? How sweet of you.” Dianite sneered, taking another step forwards. Ianite merly gazed cooly at him, arms folding over her chest.

“You remember that you are the instigator of this attack, brother. Or do you pretend that you don’t know the atrocities that you have committed against my people?” Ianite watched as he scoffed at her words, his eyes growing darker. Something bad was taking over Dianite. He had never been like this before, and Ianite found herself almost being in fear of what her brother might do.

“Oh, those are just simple things.” Dianite waved her comments off like he was swatting at flies. “I was more disgusted by the fact that you decided to bring along your pretty little Captain. Isn’t it unsafe for her to be here? After all, Furia  _is_  looking to collect the whole set…” Chuckling, Dianite raised his arms, giving Ianite a small smirk. Ianite gritted her teeth, a flare of rage bursting through her as he talked about her followers like they were nothing. Bastard. She could tell that Dianite was enjoying this.

“Why can’t you just release Rupert, and we can work out a deal between the two of us?” Ianite asked, a pleading tone to her voice. “Why can’t both of our people just live in peace?” Dianite scoffed at that.

“Oh, of course  _you_  want peace, sister.” He scowled at her. “Do you really believe that getting along with one another will solve all of our problems?” Dianite let out a short laugh, squaring his shoulders. “It will change nothing. There will always be a discord between our people. Especially after you’ve done this.” Dianite waved his arms around at the ruined buildings surrounding the square.

“Don’t try to put the blame on me, Dianite. I’m not killing innocent civilians, just like you did with your cha-” Ianite was cut off by Dianite swooping forwards, slashing at her with a translucent red sword. She was able to form a barrier in time, letting the light purple barrier absorb the blow while she conjured a ball of energy. Throwing it at Dianite, she stepped backwards as he dodged the ball. The two gods circled each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. Finally, Dianite got impatient. Moving at a speed no mortal could match, Dianite darted forwards, successfully slicing at Ianite’s arm as she moved away a moment too late. Grimacing slightly, Ianite returned the blow. She smiled in satisfaction when Dianite let out a hiss of pain.

Minutes passed, and the two gods traded blows in the square. As evenly matched as they were in power, Dianite was much better at fighting than she was. Ianite found herself creating more and more barriers to block Dianite’s increasingly powerful attacks. She may have been losing the fight, but she hid her worry’s well. This was a fight she could not loose. Swinging forwards, Dianite’s blade was blocked by one of her own, the two gods now trapped in a battle of strength. If she had been mortal, Ianite would have been dead, but she was just exhausted. Dianite was pushing her to her limits.

“Feeling tired yet, sister?” Dianite chuckled, pressing down harder onto Ianite’s blade, causing her to grit her teeth. She was getting weaker by the second, and if Dianite was able to kept up the pace... She wasn’t sure if she would be able to win if he did. “What? Cat got your tongue?” He smiled at her, and she merely glared back at him. Using a last resort, Ianite pushed some energy through her blade, causing Dianite to fall backwards from the force. She stood, panting, as Dianite quickly got up, sword at the ready. It was all too much. Ianite wasn’t strong enough. Her vision blurred, and Ianite realized that she was drained. All of her energy was gone because of the fight. She swayed on two feet, before her vision moved to darkness and she fell unconscious. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> h e c k  
> sorry this is late! school is.... interesting  
> I'm hoping to try and get maybe 1-3 updates per moth - maybe more if I have the time :3  
> Thanks for sticking with me through the short break!


	11. 39 - Accidents

Tom was glad that the sounds of battle were coming from behind them, and not from in front. He supposed he should have felt bad, leaving his fellow Dianitee’s to fight off the Ianitee soldiers. At least he was helping someone. Said someone had an arm over his shoulders, using Tom to steady himself as he limped. They were making good progress. At this rate, Rupert could be safely behind Ianitee lines and Tom could be at the main temple before sundown. Things were looking up, for the most part. Tom shifted Rupert’s arm slightly, so that he could be more balanced. Without his other eye, it was proving to be slightly harder for him to walk in a straight line.

Pulling Rupert into an abandoned house, Tom helped him sit down, letting him rest for a bit. They still had some way to go before Tom could safely let Rupert go. Letting his head rest against the wall, Tom let out a breath. If Dianite caught them right now, both of them would be killed on the spot. Well, maybe not himself. Dianite would want to properly punish him, before he killed him. If he even killed him. Maybe he would… No, Tom didn’t want to think about that right now. Rupert’s eye was closed, and Tom would have thought him asleep had, he not known otherwise. After a couple more minutes, Tom reached down and gently shook Rupert’s shoulder. He hated having to wake him up, but they needed to move. The sounds of the battle were somewhat closer than they had been, and Tom didn’t want to get caught up in the mayhem.

“C’mon Rupert. We’ve gotta go.” He murmured, watching as Rupert groaned and opened his eye. Grasping his forearms, Tom helped Rupert to his feet, steadying him as he stood up. Tom wrapped his arm back around Rupert’s waist, and Rupert clung tightly to Tom’s shoulders. They slowly walked down the cobble streets, taking back alleys and all of the shortcuts that Tom remembered. His heart was pounding in his ears. Tom was afraid. Afraid for Rupert, for himself, for Katherine and Jordan. Trying to calm himself down, he took in a few deep breaths. If Rupert had noticed the way Tom had squeezed him closer, he certainly didn’t say anything about it.

The sounds of the battle grew distant as they trudged forwards. For once, Tom was glad that Furia had trained their soldiers so much. Fights between them and Ianitee soldiers lasted longer, and it gave him more time to help Rupert escape. Of course, it also meant that the soldiers got more injured, but Tom only felt slightly guilty about that. Rupert had started walking better since they had continued. He was slowly regaining his strength albeit very slowly. But it was something, and Tom was pleased at the progress he was making.

A sudden sound from up ahead of them caused Tom to almost push Rupert over in his haste. He quickly pulled the two of them behind a crumbling wall, hoping that whatever or whoever had made the sound wasn’t hostile. Tom’s mouth formed a thin line as the person approached. He nearly forgot to breathe when the footsteps reached their hiding spot. Slowly, Tom’s hand slid around the hilt of his sword. If they were hostile, he would try his best to defend Rupert. He could only hope that the person wouldn’t attack the two of them on sight.

They waited for what seemed like hours, sitting in the dirt and rubble as silent as they could be. As the footsteps started to draw away, Tom let out a quiet sigh of relief. He watched as Rupert swallowed harshly, his eyes shut tight. Making sure that the person was well and truly gone, Tom stood, pulling Rupert with him. They needed to get out of here. Fast.

-

Rupert’s face twisted into a scowl as Tom helped him sit down on a log. They were well outside of the city, quite close to where the Ianitee’s had set up camp. From here, Tom could see the purple banners billowing in the wind. He tried to calm himself down. Rupert would be fine. He was near safety. Gods, why was he such a mess today? Rupert must have noticed the way Tom’s hands were shaking, as he tugged Tom down to sit beside him.

“I’ll be fine, Tom.” Rupert murmured, slinging an arm around Tom’s shoulders. Tom practically fell against him, letting his head rest on Rupert’s shoulder. “Tom, it’ll be okay.” Tom nodded, swallowing and closing his eyes. Rupert would be fine. Everyone would be fine.

“Alright,” Tom said after a few moments, ignoring the way his voice cracked, “I… I should go.” Rupert patted Tom on the back, letting him stand. “Hey.” Tom grinned at him, his eyes sad. “Keep yourself safe, alright?” Chuckling, Rupert nodded.

“Only if you do the same.” A real smile spread across Tom’s face this time, and he barked out a laugh. They stood awkwardly for a moment, before Rupert spoke up. “You know, Tom…” Glancing at him, Tom gave him a curious look. “I’m fine with you dating Kathy,” At that, a flush blossomed across Tom’s face, making the tips of his ears turn pink. “She’s her own person, and while I’ve got the ability to not like the person she does, she can make her own decisions. And I’m glad she chose you.” Tom looked at the ground, embarrassment written all over his face. Rupert smiled, reaching a hand out to clap Tom on the shoulder. “You’re a good man, Tom.”

“Thanks.” Tom mumbled, not even caring that his voice sounded watery. There was the sound of a distant explosion that made Tom turn to look back towards the city. He sighed, before looking back at Rupert with a soft smile. “I’ll see you later.” Rupert nodded, watching as he started to walk back.

“Good luck!” He called out, waving when Tom turned to grin at him. As he watched Tom walk away, Rupert felt a ball of worry forming. Tom would be alright. He’d have to be.

-

The sun was almost setting when Tom made it back to the city. He crept along the silent streets, jumping at shadows and distant sounds. Tom could only hope that Rupert had made it to the Ianitee camp, and was getting care. Rupert’s wound needed someone much more skilled than himself, and he could only provide minimal care. All Tom could do was bandage him up and hope for the best. Well, now he’d be safe.

There was a noise from behind him, and Tom was just able to whip around and dodge the fireball that had been sent his way. Some purple haired woman was standing behind him, another fireball already forming in her hands. He stumbled backwards, hand grasping for his sword. Tom was just barely able to swing it out in time to deflect the next fireball, feeling the sweltering heat upon his face and arms. She snarled slightly, before casting out a few quick flames, which Tom ducked from. Moving forwards, Tom swung at the woman, who gracefully leapt backwards, two smaller fireballs in both her hands. Shit. Casting quickly, the purple-haired woman shot fireball after fireball at him, forcing Tom to duck and weave. He could feel sweat dripping down his face as he narrowly missed a flame that would have killed him instantly. Dianite was wrong. Metal armour was a bitch in this kind of heat, and Tom was starting to feel faint.

In his distraction, he missed the sight of a rather small fireball barreling towards him. Striking his left arm, he could feel it immediately eating away at his clothing under the armour, creeping up his shirt. Letting out a yelp, he dropped his sword to franticly pat at the flames, not even noticing the woman stalking closer towards him. His arm was so hot. He wondered briefly if the fire was magical or not, before realizing that the strange woman had moved towards him. Tom stumbled backwards, looking around frantically as the woman closed in. He raised his arms, trying to defend himself.

Suddenly, the woman stopped, her head cocked to the side, studying him with a curious expression. Tom’s arms lowered somewhat, and he winced when he saw just how badly his arm was burnt. The fire had burned his sleeve to a crisp, and the skin underneath it was red and agitated. Tom swallowed harshly, forcing himself to look away. He would get it treated as soon as he could.

“You’re Tom, aren’t you?” The woman asked, squinting at him. Tom froze, fear creeping into his gut. How did she know his name?

“Who are you?” Tom said defensively, trying to mask how his voice shook slightly. The woman let out a huff, before diminishing the size of the flames in her hands until they disappeared.

“I’m Martha. Captain Capsize talked about you.” Tom blinked at her. This woman, Martha, knew Katherine? “I’m sorry about your arm. If you’d like, I can hel-” Tom pulled his arm away from her, holding it close to his chest.

“No.” Tom pushed down his fear, trying to calm himself down. She didn’t mean to scare him. He knew that. “Sorry, but no thank you.” Martha frowned but thankfully let him be, eyeing him with the same look his sister gave him after she realized how long he’d been working. If Dianite found out that he had helped Rupert, or that he had talked to Martha, he’d probably be punished. The injury was an easy excuse. “Dianite’ll be able to trust that i was out fighting.” Tom tried to explain to her. Martha nodded solemnly, before the crying of several horns sounded over the city. She looked backwards for a moment, before turning back to him.

“I’m sorry, but I must go.” Her mouth twisted into a worried line as she glanced at his arm. “I’m sorry about your arm, truly, but I-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Tom waved it off with his good arm. “I can manage.” Martha nodded at him.

“Goodbye.” With that, Martha darted off, quickly disappearing behind the houses. Tom watched the space where she had been for a moment, before picking his sword up. He made sure that it was correctly fastened into his scabbard before he began his walk again. Hopefully, he would arrive quickly. The burning pain in his arm was beginning to dull, but a steady throbbing was building up in its stead. Tom quickened his pace. The sooner he got back to the temple, the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o k a y school is finally starting to calm down (except for the huge project i have to do that i haven't started whoops)  
> hopefully i'll be able to write a few chapters over the break so that I can post them when things get busy :p
> 
> thanks for being patient :)


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